When Brelfies are Debatable

When people who are in the public eye make uneducated, ignorant comments about breastfeeding, it kind of annoys the hell out of me. When I read this article about a televised debate over brelfies (a selfie of yourself breastfeeding) today, for a moment I could literally feel my blood pressure go up. Let me explain why…

Now this is a happy baby that just got a roadside snack…

If we’re allowing brelfies to be debatable, we have to remind everyone that we have bigger fish to fry. Because when brelfies are debatable, we’re turning the conversation towards the image of breastfeeding, and making that imagine a negative one instead of a positive one. When images of breastfeeding are debatable, we aren’t talking about why more women are not breastfeeding, or why women aren’t breastfeeding long enough. We’re not talking about the huge disparity in breastfeeding rates.

Maybe they don’t understand that we, as women, have an obligation to support other women—especially when it comes to something as vital as breastfeeding.

Maybe they don’t understand that the negative comments they perpetuate in the media contribute to the negative connotations associated with breastfeeding.

Maybe they don’t understand that if we don’t normalize breastfeeding, women may believe that there is something dirty, shameful, pointless, irrelevant, or “TMI” about breastfeeding. Maybe they don’t understand that SOME women are able to detect the subtle cracks they’re inadvertently making in efforts to normalize and promote breastfeeding, but maybe they don’t understand that OTHER women may be influenced by their ignorant remarks. Maybe they don’t understand that not breastfeeding can have lifelong maternal and newborn impacts.

What I really wish is that people who are blessed to be in positions that add weight to their words choose their words more wisely. Support women. Support babies. And be mindful of the impact your words may have on other people. Think about how the words you speak may influence someone. Do you want what you say to have a positive impact, or a negative one? I know which one I want to be… 😃

I cannot believe Americans still have their panties in a bunch about breastfeeding. It’s tragic. A Malian friend of mine (I live in W. Africa) laughed when I exclaimed how hilarious I always find it to watch Malian kiddos man-handle their food source like it’s a bottle. I mean, they dig it out of Mom’s shirt, squeeze it to get the last drop, pick it up, knead it, drop it, bang their face into it, and basically OWN that thing. My kids were great breastfeeders–one til 18 months, when she quit on her own, and the other til 2 years… Read more »

#PREACH — The only way women are going to reclaim our politicized bodies for ourselves is to offer public, visible resistance to such policing and body shaming! I love the brelfie phenomenon. And by the way you look lovely in your picture!

This. Although I have not had the chance to breastfeed yet (soon!!) I am SOO supportive of breast feeding. My blood starts to boil when people make stupid – uneducated – inexperienced comments. The fact that people are deeming “brelfies” debatable astounds me. Sure it’s ok to post half naked, pointless pictures of yourself, but someone chooses to feed their baby with a boob (covered or uncovered) and the general population gets offended…. GASP! Our priorities are messed up and somehow breastfeeding got the short end of the stick. It’s sad. As a soon to be new/breastfeeding mom, I hate… Read more »

Public media does so much to desensitize us to things, whether they’re scary, gruesome or immoral. Breastfeeding moms can do the same. When it is so common place you can’t walk down the sidewalk without seeing someone suckle their baby it will cease to be an issue.
While I was on medical mission trip in Guatamala, a woman came to the store counter to wait on me while nursing her baby. It’s a common occurrence in their culture and nobody even notices. That should be our goal here in the US.

As a new (orienting) postpartum nurse and breastfeeding mom to my preschooler son, this makes me crazy! Breastfeeding shouldn’t be a debate! It should be about supporting mom and baby to get the best help they both can get!

All selfies are crass and should be banned from the internet. Social media has created an entire generation of self absorbed narcissists that have nothing better to do with their lives than to the take pictures of themselves, boobs or no boobs. The disgust shouldn’t just be felt with the breast feeding pics, it should fall on the “What kind of unaddressed issues does this person have that they feel compelled to post pictures of themselves up on the internet?” as well.